Avalanche vs. Oilers

Yesterday I went on my first road trip of 2023 to Denver to see the Colorado Avalanche play the Edmonton Oilers last night.  It was my first Avalanche game since I lost my Dad and I really missed him!  When I picked this game I was looking at dates rather than opponents but I think I subconsciously picked the game against the Oilers because my Dad and I were big fans when I was a teenager (because of Wayne Gretzky) and we watched almost every game together in the basement!  As much as I loved the Oilers back in the day, I am definitely an Avalanche fan now and I really wanted them to win!  Both are high scoring teams so this was a defensive showdown with stellar performances from both goaltenders, especially Alexandar Georgiev who stopped 38 shots.  It was my first time seeing Georgiev in action and I was really impressed with him.  The Avalanche scored first with a goal by Ben Meyers four minutes into the first period (which was really exciting) and then Mattias Ekholm scored for Edmonton 34 seconds later (which deflated all of the energy in Ball Arena).  No other goals were scored in regulation but it was still a really exciting game with several penalties and scoring opportunities from both teams.  I particularly enjoyed it when Georgiev saved a shot from a breakaway by Connor McDavid (who is an amazing player) in the second period.  The final minutes of the third period were really intense because Edmonton had a penalty and Colorado did everything but score (I think everyone in my section was standing up the last few minutes).  Just like the previous two meetings between these two teams, the game went into overtime but, unlike those other games, Edmonton scored on a power-play goal by Evan Bouchard to win (I think it is really unfair to call a penalty in overtime unless it is really egregious).  It is always a little disappointing to see the Avalanche lose, especially after driving eight hours to see the game, but I am really glad that I came because it was very cathartic for me.  It made me feel very close to my Dad (I cried a few times) because I have so many memories of Avalanche games with him.

Note:  The Avalanche did get a point for the overtime loss and, because the Minnesota Wild lost their game last night, they clinched home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs!